Filing device



Oct. 31, 1950 M. o. GOLDSMITH 2,528,135

FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1945 2 Sheets -Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

MAURICE O. GOLDSMITH PM BY 23% Oct. 31, 1950 M. o. GOLDSMITH 2,528,135

FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MAURICE 0. GOLDSMITH Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFILING DEVICE Maurice 0. Goldsmith, Brookline, Mass.

Application August 30, 1945, Serial No. 613,618

The present invention relates to a paper file for holding bills orpapers which are perforated in the proper manner to be received by thepaper holder. Such devices are commonly used to hold current bills,notes, letters or memoranda, either temporarily or in a permanent file.such devices find common use in any various retail establishment forholding receipts, slips, prescriptions and other papers which areretained as received before filing.

The present device is an improvement over my prior Patent No. 2,270,045in convenience of use, simplicity of operation and in its lowermanufacturing cost.

The papers are all retained in a fixed position on a board which may behung up at its top by means of a hook. When it is desired to referto oneof the papers on the file, the papers may be turned over at the top ofthe file until the desired one is reached. If it is desired to remove aparticular paper, the holding prongs are readily separated and the papercan be removed after which the prongs may be brought together and therest of the papers returned to their position on the board.

The merits and advantages of the present invention will be more readilyunderstood-from-the description in the specification below when taken inconnection with the drawings showing an embodiment of the invention inwhich:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the invention showing, however,only a fragmentary section of the board upon which the file retainingmechanism is mounted.

Figure 2 shows a section taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a view looking from the rear of the invention as referredto Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a detail of a cover member used with the file to retainthe papers in a flat state.

Figure 6 shows a modified form of the detail shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows a section on the line I-'I of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 shows an end view of the detail shown in Figure 6.

In the present invention a board or backer I is used on which the fileholder 2 may be mounted by suitable riveting as at 3 and 4. Thefileholder comprises a plate element 5 of metal, such as iron, steel, brassor the like, in the front corners of which the prongs or posts 6 and Imay be rigidly secured in an upright position by welding,

1 Claim. (Cl. 129-9) pressing or other suitable means. These prongs 6and I are spaced apart a distance at which the perforations in thepapers should be made so that the papers fit on the file. The plate 5 atits forward end is further provided with a StOPB which is pressed upwardfrom the metal plate 5 and a perforation 8'. The stop 8 limits themotion of the member 9 which carries the prongs II) and I I respectivelyso that when the member 9 is in its limiting position, the curvedmembers 28 and 21 will engage the prongs 6' and I respectively. In thislimiting position the boss l8 locks in the perforations 8, keeping thefile closed. I

A portion of the metal at the sides of the plate 5 are pressed outwardforming angle plate elements I3 and I4 to receive the edges of the plateI5 of the movable member 9. The width of this plate I5 is justsufficient to make a free sliding fit between the upstanding walls ofthe pressedout angle members I3 and I4 without allowing any appreciableplay so that the plate I5 will move through the angle elements I3 and I4in a longitudinal direction without any side motion or twist.

The center portion of the plate 5 has also pressed upward from its basea tongue section I6 which is given a spring resilience and exerts springpressure on the base of the plate member I5. The plate member l5 may bestrengthened at the center by a rib I1 and provided also with thedownwardly pressed boss I8 which rides over the surface of the springelement I6 and when the file is closed, looks, as explained, in theperforation 8'. Mounted symmetrically with respect to the plate memberI5 is a vertically extending operating arm I9 by means of which thefront and rear prongs will be separated for taking out and inserting thepapers. This member I9 may form an integral part of the plate I 5 and bebent upward from the plate or the member I9 may be welded to the platemember I5 in its lower bridge sections 20 and 2 I.

The upwardly extending arm or plate I9 may be vertically ribbed, asindicated at 22, to provide strength for this member. Attached to orforming a part of the plate I5 at its rear is a vertically upwardextending section 23 which may be integrally formed with the base orattached to it in any suitable manner. This upwardly extending backmember 23 is provided with two side loops 24 and 25 and one base loop 26bent downward from the upwardly extending apron or plate 23. The wireprongs I9 and I I extend through these loops 24, 26 and 25 forming acontinuous mem- 3 her. The wires l and II are curved around at the top,as indicated by 21 and 28, and when the plate I is moved forward,referring to Figure 1, these curved ends 2'! and 28 close upon the ends1 and B respectively.

At the back of the member 5 there is an upwardly extending stop 29 toserve as a limit of backward motion for the plate Hi. It will be notedthat the arm [9, by means of which the file is opened or closed, extendsupward from the plate in a plane centrally positioned between the backprongs I0 and H and the front prong members 6 and 1 when the file isclosed. This upwardly extending member serves also as a guide for theedges of the sheet. When the individual wishes to insert or take outsome papers, :he simply presses the top of the plate :9 with his thumbor fingers, separating the prongs, and inserts the new sheets over theforward prongs after which the rear and forward prongs may be broughttogether. The central plate l8 also .remains lower than the top arches2i and28 by the same distance as the plate 59 from the forward or rearprong stems so that the papers may be folded over from the front prongswithout interference with the central member.

.In Figure 5 means are shown-for keeping the papers down upon the file.This comprises a plate member 30 which may be of paper or fabric andstiff, and a top metalli-crsheet 31 foldedover the ends of the plate 30.The sheet and plate are perforated with holes Hand 33 corresponding tothe prongs in the 'file holder. The sheet plate Si is pressed outward at34 and 35 to form loops through which a steel spring ribbon 35is'inserted .2

with a central loop 3! positioned between the loops 34 and 35. Thespring ribbon 35 extends into the perforations 32 and 33. When, however,the loop 37 is squeezed to bring its arms against the central stop 38,the perforations 32 and 33 are clear and the plate 30 maybe pressed downover the papers with the prongs 6 and passing through the holes 32 "and33. When the plate is pressed down to its proper position, the loop 31is released and the ends of the ribbon 35 press against the prongs .6and l, holding the plate against the papers in the position in which itis placed.

In the arrangement of Figures 6, '7 and 8, the cover for the file isarranged so that a hinged plate 40, hinged by the engaging rolls 4! and42, 4|

being turned'up from the edge of the cover sheet 43, and 42 formed atthe end of the plate 46, provide in the hinge a spring tension so thatin the closed position the plate presses against the cover sheet 43 andthe prongs passing through the hole 44 in the cover. This holds thecover tight to the prongs so that it cannot move free.

In Figure 7, which shows a section, it will be noted that the roll 42 isslightly elongated with the tip 45, when the plate 40 is in a closedposition, pressed by the edge 46 of the roll 4 i. This is equivalent toa toggle spring action and keeps the plate 40 tensioned against theprong passing through the hole 44. The plate 49 is kept from sliding outendwise by the bent up ends 41 which prevent the hinged plate 40 frombeing removed.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

A file holder comprising a fixed plate member and a movable memberadapted to be placed in an open or closed position, said fixed platemember having angle guide elements pressed therefrom said movable membercomprising, a movable plate element fitted for longitudinal motionwithin said angle guide elements, said movable plate element having anupwardly extending plate at the rear thereof, upwardly extending prongelements supported therein having arched tops, said fixed plate havingat its forward end upwardly extending prong elements adapted to meet thearched prong element when the fixed and movable plates are brought to aclosed position, the prongs in sai'd' closed position thereby formingloop members, and spring means comprising a tongue pressed upward fromthe fixed plate member against the movable plate element to maintain themovable plate in contact with the angle guide members, the prongelements of said movable member being formed as a continuous wireelement holding up said loop members extending from the upwardlyextending rear member attached to the movable element. ,MAURICE O.GOLDSMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 331,125 Garrigues Nov. 24, 1885452,353 Baker May 19, 1891 480,862 Stull Aug. 16, 1892 "769,686 BarlowSept. 13,1904 7189,035 Jordan May 2, 1905 931,796 Page Aug. 24, 19092,270,045 Goldsmith Jan. 13,1942

